Starting when hot..

mattv8 · Post by **mattv8** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:30 pm

right got the new electronic distributor on & the throttle cable, al well & good, went out in in today to dump the recently died washing machine, started great, got some petrol great, sat in traffic jam for a while on a steep hill, it stalled, rolled rest of the way down the hill & when got to the bottom it struggled to start, gave up waiting in the queue for the dump so went to gf`s mums for lunch, there for bout an hr, started no probs, dropped off washer at the dump & went into town, there for bout an hr & when went to start it, the engine was sluggish tuning over & would not start, pumped the throttle a few times & after a few more goes it just started, ran fine all the way home no probs... any ideas any one???

Skye Stage 1 · Post by **Skye Stage 1** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:54 pm

A bit difficult this, as we have the two fairly difficult to diagnose systems anyway - ignition and fuel, but with the twist of uprated parts! Unlucky for you that it conked out, especially after your throttle cable fiasco; anyway a few thoughts - I'd have to consult a few different manuals for anything more.

Ignition possibilities:

i - if the engine was running very hot (if you can remember what the temp gauge was doing, and post up that info, that would be very helpful)
I wonder if a part of the ignition system (condensor or coil perhaps) was breaking-up as the engine heated up. I have known coils get so hot they breakdown, and then return to working order after they've cooled a bit.

ii - dizzy problem: either not compatible with your coil, or not setup properly. An engine can require a lot of ignition advance going up steep hills, so there could be a problem there. I'm sure you would've ordered the right part, and set it up well; but it's possible a mistake occured somewhere.

Fuel/Carb:

i - given it stalled when it was going uphill, are you sure you have sufficient fuel supply?

ii - how hot is it running? There's a possibility of fuel vapourisation here, and some of the downdraught carbs can be quite bad for it.

iii - does it have an electronic choke? The bimetallic strip in these can break down, meaning the engine temprature can be misread, and the carb will try and start a hot engine on full choke, but then gradually easing of allowing it to be started with difficulty.

iv - Did you get a set-up manual with the carburettor? If so, have you had a good look in there, and did you follow their installation instructions exactly?

I'm not quite sure what to make of the sluggish turning over, especially if it was fine before, but check all your electrical connections anyway - can't do any harm.

Sorry to not be more definitive, but I hope this helps. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about Weber cars will be able to chip in with more useful stuff.

mattv8 · Post by **mattv8** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:37 pm

forgot to say was going down the hill, wasnt to hot, have to keep an eye on it as have no automatic switch for the fans at mo so use the over ride switch to keep it cool, so temp stared to go up but was v hot to day here & sat in traffic but once on the move was fine.. ordered all the bits from the same place, & all brand new, manual choke, bat is new, & didnt have the prob before so cant be a carb prob, & fuel is by a filter king so is pressurized, think its prob more to do with the trimming side.. once got it going again it ran fine going home.

Skye Stage 1 · Post by **Skye Stage 1** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:49 pm

I didn't realise you'd had the carb on for a while - I thought you put it on the same time as the dizzy. Sounds like you've narrowed it down a lot, though.

mattv8 · Post by **mattv8** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:55 pm

the carb has been on for over 12 months now, spoke to a chap today & he said its more likely to be the timing, so will adjust the distributor & see if it helps & if not il try it when it plays up again..

Skye Stage 1 · Post by **Skye Stage 1** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:49 am

I suppose it could be the timing, although the symptons seem a little aberrant for that; I guess you could just set it up as per factory specification and go from there. Best of luck.

onno wielinga · Post by **onno wielinga** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:10 am

vapourlock?

heat in the trafficjam, heat when working hard going up the hill.

mattv8 · Post by **mattv8** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:26 pm

have been told its more likely to be the timing... so far so good but haven't had time to get it that hot so have to wait till the next time have to do some running around..